Lalitha Sahasranamam 912

Saturday, July 03, 2010

Savyāpasavya-mārgasthā सव्यापसव्य-मार्गस्था (912)

This nāma is composed of three words, savya + apa-savya + mārga. Savya means right hand, apa-savya means the left hand and mārga means path (possibly referring to middle path between savya and apasavya).

Savya is worshipping through Vedic methods, where only right hand is used to perform rituals. Apasavya is worshipping through tantric methods, where only left hand is used. This nāma says that She is worshipped by Her devotees by either of these paths. These are also known as dakṣiṇāmārga and vāmamārga. The important difference between the worshippers following dakṣiṇā or vāmamārga is the object of worship. Dakṣiṇāmārga followers worship all gods and goddesses. In Hindu philosophy, all energy generating objects are worshipped. For example, water, fire, earth, sun, moon, planets, rivers, oceans are worshipped as demigods. Such demigods and goddesses are important factors in sustaining the universe. However trivial the nature of these gods and goddesses are, they have their own role to play in sustaining the universe. In dakṣiṇāmārga, all these demigods and goddesses are worshipped and they are easily pleased when pūja and homa (fire rituals) are performed to assuage them. Though the followers of dakṣiṇāmārga have their own iṣṭadevatā (favourite or desired deity), they also worship other gods and demigods. Iṣṭadevatā is different from kuladevatā. Kuladevatā is the deity worshiped through one’s lineage. Śāstra-s say that one’s kuladevatā should be worshipped as frequently as possible, at least once in a year. Iṣṭadevatā is one’s preferred form of God. Since they invoke all demigods and goddesses, who have their own powers, they bless the invoker and make him prosper.

On the other hand, vāmamārga worshippers do not worship other gods and goddesses. They always worship their own devatā, in whose worship they should have been initiated by a guru. These worshippers ignore other devatā totally. Though the particular devatā (mostly feminine deities), who is invoked by them endows her worshippers with all her qualities, she does not confer final liberation. Though they also occasionally worship other deities, they invariably sacrifice the benefits of such worships to their own devatā, as they feel that their own devatā will confer on them the blessings of all other devatā-s. It is said in Sandhyāvandana,sarva deva namaskāraḥ śrī keśavaṁ prati gacchati (सर्व देव नमस्कारः श्री केशवं प्रति गच्छति) which means that the propitiation done to other devatā-s reach only Viṣṇu (keśava). They are deluded to recognise the individual powers of other gods and goddesses. They firmly believe that their own deity can bestow on them the energy of sun, fire, water, etc. They do not make any progress from their iṣṭadevatā to realise the Brahman, the Ultimate. Their ultimate liberation gets postponed on account of their inability to realise the Brahman. In their affinity to their own deity, they fail to perform rituals for their ancestors, riṣi-s and sages, etc. There are five types of yajñā as referred in nāma 946. If one fails to perform these pañcayajñā , path to salvation is blocked. This means, he has to be reborn again to cross this blockade. The final liberation gets postponed for them.

In this context this nāma says that She is worshipped by both dakṣiṇāmārga and vāmamārga.

There is another interpretation. A soul, after leaving its gross body can go to the deva loka (where gods like Indra, etc live) or pitṛ loka (where ancestors live) depending upon the karma embedded in the soul. Savya is the name of the path that a soul takes in reaching deva loka. This path is full of illumination. The soul transcends the five basic elements and reaches higher planes without any difficulty. This path can be taken only by those who have acquired supreme knowledge. These souls are not generally reborn and enjoy the comforts of deva loka. Apasavya is the path taken by those souls whose karmic account is not so good. This path is dark and difficult to cross. They also reach the deva loka to be born again. Trampling this path is difficult and the soul undergoes pain while proceeding in this path. Those who have controlled their senses and mind, devoid of desire, attachments, lust etc continue to stay in the deva loka till pralaya or the annihilation. These Self realised persons transcend even the deva loka and reach the Viṣṇu loka, where all sages and saints inhabit. They always think about Viṣṇu and eternally dwell at his feet. Rig Veda (I.22.20) says, tadviśṇoḥ paramaṃ padaṃ sadā paṣyanti sūrayaḥ meaning ‘they see Him vividly in meditation’. This nāma says that She is in the form of both these paths.

To reach the solar disc there are three paths, uttara (north), dakṣiṇa (south) and madhyama (centre). Each of these three paths has three roads (3 x 3 = 9) making a total of nine. Each of these has three stars beginning from Aśvinī and ending with Revatī thereby making a total twenty seven stars of the galaxy. She is said to be in these three major paths and control the universe.

{Further reading on sādanā: Sādana is practice. Talking about religion does not give anything spiritually. To progress in spirituality, one must do sādanā (practice). Progression in spirituality is purely based on one’s experience that can be attained only through sādanā. Both Veda-s and Tantra-s prescribe guidelines to attain liberation. It is the question of individual’s degree of quest to understand and follow these guidelines. Faith is the single important aspect of spirituality. In order to develop one’s faith, rituals have been prescribed. But if one continues only with rituals, he does not have time to search for the Brahman. One has to believe in “what is here is there and what is not here is nowhere.” Spirituality says that one must act to know the Brahman. The action begins with rituals and culminates in meditation. Meditation is the most effective sādanā in Self-realisation. Religious ritual is either through karma (action) such as homa etc, or upāsana (engaging mentally). Perfection in these two lead to jñāna or knowledge. Karma, upāsana and jñāna form three fold division of Vedas. Ritual karma is effective only if it is done in total accuracy. The progress in psychological worship (upāsana) depends on the depth of devotion. Again, upāsana is of two types, gross and subtle. When one advances spiritually, his level of sādanā transforms from gross to subtle. Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad Gīta (IX.14 and 15) “Constantly chanting my names and glories and striving for my realisation and bowing again and again to me, those devotees of firm resolve, ever united with me through meditation , worship me with single minded devotion. Others, who follow the path of knowledge betake themselves to me through their offering of knowledge, worshipping me in my Absolute formless aspect as one with themselves. While still others worship me in my universal form in ways taking me as manifested in diverse celestial forms.”}